Mermaids are Menacing (Book 2) Complete

64.) Claims

The horns tumbled and clunked hollowly as they bounced. The set laid exposed for every one to see. The horns had been affixed to the back of her head with a type of long toothed comb which was now a mostly broken semicircle on the floor.

The three male companions who had been helping Arany up looked between themselves and then at the floor, I could hear the audible swallow. From the time spent with Cerastes, I knew horns were important because he never wanted me touching them. Hers were always different than the mens, they grew from the back not the top of the forehead like my small set.  The horns falling to the floor were obviously a bad thing but the reason eluded me.

The silence was heavy and pressed down on my shoulders. The rage was replaced by anxiety. I had lost my temper and in front of the head. There was not a doubt in my mind that I was going to be punished for hurting her. Causing her harm. They all treated her as if she hung the stars and Im the beast that went wild in the house. My body tensed, and I waited for the worst.

"Arany...You dropped something." Kavern said dully but there was a glint in his eye.

Arany who had been incredibly still all this time looked at the high lord Kavern with messy hair and scratches on her face. She looked livid, this had likely been the first time in her life that she was treated this way. She gritted her fanged teeth angrily. One of Aranys attendants bent down to pick up the broken pieces of horns quickly and tucking them away.

"High lord are you not going to take responsibility for your...pets damage?!" Arany screached.

"I think its your clan who will be required to take responsibility." Kavern sneared.

"That wench tore off my horns this is a serious crime for a dragon! much less a human mutt! I will accept her death as payment" Arany argued shamelessly.

The grip on me tightened with her words and made me squirm. Dante would surly kill me for that woman. I looked at my girls in the high lords lap they watched the unfolding seen with wide eyes and Vee watched with a face I didn't know he could make. A young boy with red eyes filled with hatred.

The lord Kavern chortled maliciously. "Payment is due but we wont be the ones paying." He stood up from his thrown and placed the girls down. He walked down to Aranys party with echoing loud foot steps  "What would the other clans say when they find out that all the tribute they sent to your clan in exchange for your visiting was for naught?" He laughed as he towered over her.

"It was smart on your families part, while our females were already having difficulties producing, no one would have expected you to be a hornless sterile. Especially when you showed off a rare set of horns." Kavern continued.

Aranys face scrunched as if he hit her. 

"As for your proposition. Its a rather one sided arrangement. Two complete females in exchange for a hornless female. You'll have to PERSONALLY send our rejection when you return home and if they want us to keep your secret, see to it that they send the necessary funds." The high lord said as his black brown eyes bored into her purple ones. He steped away and waved his hand as if to cast them away. The three males spread their wings sheilding Arany from view and quickly shuffled her to the exit.

Kavern returned to his throne but the girls were not where he had left them. They instead had crawled under my fur with Jen. The high lord Kavern sat back down heavily and paused. I felt the weight of the mens gaze pressing down on me the same as Dantes hands.

"Come here." The high lord said.

I looked up at Dante and he dramatically released me his clawed hands stretching out widly. Once i had freed myself from Dantes hold I walked forward back to the line up.

"You look different." The high lord stated. My tail flicked nervously  behind me and I grabbed it up and held it against my hip to keep it in place.

"I am." I agreed.

"The horns and the tail are welcome additions." He continued with a grin. "not a complete female but it may be better that the wings didn't develop given your proclivity for wandering."

"I'll set her and her offspring up a place in my wing." Dante said placing his hand on my head.

"No." Cerastes interupted.

"You have no say in this matter drake, you already lost you claim in combat." Dante sneered.

"You have no claim to my offspring! and that female is mine." Cerastes argued.

"Siring a couple clutches has made you go soft in the head." Dante scorned.

"I dont belong to anybody!" I shouted. "Not you!" i pointed at Cerastes "and definitly not you!" I said pointing at Dante.

"You dont know it but I beat that off colored brat in single combat. Therefore you as his property became mine." Dante argued.

Talon was smirking between the two  enjoying the show. The girls had forgotten their concerns and began fussing to eat adding more nose to the chaos.

"I was never property to begin with!" I said pushing his hand off my head.

"Enough."  The lord Kavern bellowed. "I'll place her in one of my guest wings. It will be easier to keep an eye on her from there while the offspring are developing."

I couldn't tell if this was a better or worse outcome but I didn't have the energy or ability to complain. At least it wasnt Dantes wing and I wouldn't have to talk to Cerastes for the time being. The places on my body that Arany had striked had began to make themselves known now that my heart had calmed down completly.

"Ill add Idelia and Aelias names to the mountains heart under Cerastes but they will be your last offspring with the female." Kavern said getting to his feet. He flipped back the fur, exposing the three beneath it and grabbed up the squaling girls from Jens back.

"Rowan." I corrected with a chest full of courage.

Kavern looked at me confused as to why I spoke.

"Im Rowan, not the female." I repeated.